The Church in Ohio

The Diocese of Columbus ordained Kennedy Ofezu a priest on Saturday at St. Catharine of Siena Church in Columbus.

Ofezu, who is from Uganda, is the only member of his family of eight children to live outside his home country. He first identified his vocation as a child during a Friday Mass for school children. During that Mass, the pastor asked the students who wanted to become priests, and Ofezu raised his hand despite laughter from his peers.

Bishop Earl Fernandes ordained Anthony Whalen and Kennedy Ofezu to the priesthood on Saturday, Oct. 31, at St. Catharine of Siena Church in Columbus. Both men were previously ordained as transitional deacons by Bishop Fernandes on March 14 and completed their priestly discernment at the Pontifical College Josephinum.

Whalen, 48, grew up in Columbus and attended St. Leo School. After graduating from Trinity High School in Euless, Texas, he studied funeral home management, a field he noted shares a common goal of serving others during times of need. His previous professional and educational experiences included service in the U.S. Air Force, work at Arlington National Cemetery, and time at the U.S. Naval Academy.

The Office of Religious Education for the Eparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma has released readings and resources for catechists covering November 1 through November 14, 2026.

The materials include reflections for the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost on November 1, featuring readings from Ephesians 2:4-10 and Luke 8:26-39. The office provides commentary from Blessed Theophylact regarding the healing in the Gospel of Luke and a reflection from Saint John Chrysostom on the nature of sin. The twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost falls on November 8, with readings from Ephesians 2:14-22 and Luke 8:41-56.

Notable feast days listed in the update include the Holy Martyrs Onisiphorus and Porphyry and Our Venerable Mother Matrona on November 9. Other dates include the feast of Theodore the Studite on November 11, the Holy Priest-Martyr Josaphat, Archbishop of Polotsk, on November 12, Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on November 13, and the Apostle Philip on November 14.

The Sacred Heart Enthronement Network will host the 15th annual Sacred Heart Congress on Saturday, Nov. 7. The event will take place at St. Paul the Apostle parish in Westerville from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The congress features talks by Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, and Annie Mitchell of the EWTN Son Rise Morning Show. Bishop Earl Fernandes will celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. For families with elementary-age children, the Daughters of Holy Mary of the Heart of Jesus will host a youth program.

Father Jonathon Wilson, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle, described the half-day event as a time for spiritual renewal.

All Saints Church in Kenwood was founded in 1948 and is now part of the St. Paul the Apostle Family of Parishes. The parish began when 50 acres of land were purchased and Mass was celebrated in a house that served as both a rectory and a church.

On July 21, 1951, Father Thomas Devitt laid the cornerstone for the stone church. Designed by Maguolo and Quick, the building features an eclectic modern style with a low A-frame roof, bas relief stations of the cross by George Youstel, and a mural by Gerhard Lamers depicting Christ enthroned in Heaven above the Virgin Mary.

The parish school, designed by Edward J. Schulte, saw its foundation poured on March 1, 1954. Archbishop Alter dedicated the completed school building in 1955. The current parish succeeded an earlier All Saints parish in Cincinnati’s East End that closed in 1936. Relics of St. Alesia and St. Laetus from the original altar stone were relocated to the altar at the new All Saints church.

The Diocese of Erie sponsored the family of Lan Vu and Deacon Dominic Hoang Vu after they arrived in the United States as refugees from Vietnam.

Lan Vu grew up in central Vietnam and fled the country with her family of 11 children on April 29, 1975. After escaping by boat and being rescued by a Taiwanese merchant ship, the family traveled through Guam and Fort Indiantown Gap before being sponsored by the Diocese of Erie. Lan Vu stated that her family felt comfortable with the sponsorship because the Catholic Church provided a sense of familiarity and welcome.

The couple met while attending the University of Cincinnati and later served the Vietnamese Catholic community until 2010. Since then, they have served in various parishes within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. They have three children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson.

In his 1929 encyclical *Divini Illius Magistri*, Pope Pius XI described the relationship between the family, civil society, and the Church as three necessary societies.

The Pope identified the family and civil society as belonging to the natural order, while the Church belongs to the supernatural order. He stated that these three societies are distinct from one another but are harmoniously combined by God.

Dr. Ken Craycraft notes that the Pope's use of the word "necessary" differs from the common English usage of the term as a contingency for a specific goal. Instead, the encyclical presents these societies as essential structures within the order of human and divine life.

The Catholic Telegraph magazine has selected "Under My Roof" as its theme for November 2026. This theme is part of a monthly series for the 2026 editions that uses concepts of housing or construction to explore spiritual meanings.

Writer David Cooley connected the theme to the American tradition of Thanksgiving and the liturgical words spoken before receiving Holy Communion, in which the faithful express unworthiness for Christ to enter under their roof.

Little Flower Home, an established nonprofit organization in Ohio, plans to open a Catholic maternity home in Columbus. The organization is currently searching for a property to house pregnant women age 18 and older who are experiencing housing instability.

The home intends to provide material assistance and support for mothers and infants through the child's first year of life. The organization's founding board is developing life-skills programs, formation training, and daily routines for the residents. The board is currently meeting to discern the establishment of the home and organize its committees.

Bishop Fernandes celebrated Mass during the annual Marian Gathering held Monday at Buckeye Catholic. The event brought together young women discerning consecrated religious life to meet the women religious serving in the diocese.

The gathering included a dinner and a talk by Sister Anna of the Dominican Sisters of Peace.

The Diocese of Youngstown has opened registration for the 2026 #iGiveCatholic crowdfunding event, scheduled for December 1 during Giving Tuesday.

Parishes, schools, and Catholic ministries may register by November 1 to participate in the event. The fundraiser allows these organizations to collect funds for specific projects, programs, or general operating costs. Twenty-five organizations are currently listed as participants.

The Diocese of Youngstown provides a list of participating registrants on its dedicated website.

The Bishop Iruthayaraj Foundation provides healthcare, education, and pastoral care to Christian communities in Africa and India. Maria Pushparaj, a parishioner at St. Brigid of Kildare Church in Dublin, co-founded the nonprofit and serves as its executive director. She established the foundation alongside Archbishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.

The foundation is named for the late Bishop Savarinathen Iruthayaraj, the first bishop of Palayamkottai, who died in 2001. During his ministry, the bishop opened more than 100 schools, established rural clinics for those unable to afford medical care, and created a home for street children. The foundation seeks to continue these specific ministries.

Father M. A. Alex, a missionary priest of the Missionaries of Compassion, reports that a mother from Columbus assisted the Mpula parish.

The Church begins the final month of the liturgical year with the Solemnity of All Saints.

In a reflection for The Catholic Times, Father Ervens Mengelle, IVE, SSL, notes that the celebration focuses on the definitive eschatological reality of the Church. He explains that this state involves the society of the saints, who are those fully transformed by God's love.

Father Mengelle connects the liturgical readings to this transformation. He notes that the second reading describes believers as God's children who will eventually see Him and become like Him. He also observes that the Gospel passage from the Gospel of Matthew contains the Beatitudes, where Jesus identifies those who are blessed.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Youngstown will begin its annual 60-day Season of Giving campaign on November 1, 2026. The campaign collects monetary gifts to support local agencies serving six counties. These funds assist individuals and families with housing, food, and utility services.

The campaign includes three scheduled events. On Tuesday, December 1, the organization will host Breakfast with the Bishop from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Saint Michael Parish Family Life Center in Canfield, Ohio. The morning includes an 8:00 a.m. Mass at Saint Michael Church, a presentation by Bishop David J. Bonnar, a holiday bake sale, a basket raffle, and a collection of perishable and taxable goods. Tickets for the breakfast cost $35 per person and must be purchased in advance.

Donations can be made through the Catholic Charities website or by mail to the agency in Warren, Ohio.

Andrew Zuk of The Catholic Times criticized the animated film Wildwood, noting that its high quality of stop-motion animation does not compensate for a disappointing story. The film, which took 15 years to complete, follows 13-year-old Prue McKeel as she enters the Impassable Wilderness to save her baby brother from being sacrificed by a dark witch named Alexandra.

Zuk reported several troubling themes in the film, including depictions of suicide, witchcraft, and the sacrifice of a baby. He specifically noted that the movie begins with a prologue showing the suicide of a naked minor, the reanimated son of the character Alexandra. The reviewer also described a sequence involving a fever dream where a baby is sacrificed and its blood is spilled on ivy.

The Catholic Conference has released a guide to help the faithful navigate the upcoming election cycle.

Damien Hughes and Brennan Jones completed Eagle Scout projects to serve their local faith communities in Muskingum County.

Hughes, a student at Bishop Rosecrans High School, built a memorial at St. Mary Church in Nashport near the Mattingly Settlement Cemetery.

Jones, a 2026 graduate of Bishop Rosecrans High School, constructed a signboard for the Saint Kateri Habitat located behind the high school. The project included cleaning the habitat, laying a weed mat, and spreading new gravel. The signboard features artwork of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha and the story of Thomas Gildow, a Bishop Rosecrans alumnus.